Cyclists Protest For More Bike Lanes In Boston

BOSTON (CBS) — Hundreds of cyclists gathered at Copley Square to advocate for more bike lanes around the Public Garden, and around the entire city of Boston.

“We are here today to ask the city to follow through on that promise made five years ago and install bike lanes in the heart of Boston,” said Doug Johnson, a Boston Cyclist Union organizer.

Protestors at the ‘Make Way for Bike Lanes’ event cited several fatal accidents that have occurred around the city over the past few years.

Last October, a cyclist was killed by a tractor trailer truck during a morning rush hour at Porter Square in Cambridge. Another biker, Amanda Phillips, 27, was killed when she was hit by a landscaping truck in Inman Square last June.

“People riding bikes they are just trying to get to work or home. Most of them actually own cars,” Johnson explained. “So next time you see someone on a bike just remember that they are somebody’s child or they may be a parent.”

Sunday’s rally was followed by a bike ride down Boylston Street to the Public Gardens.

According to protestors, drivers on Boylston Street, along with Charles, Beacon, Arlington Streets, are able to speed because of the wide lanes. They propose the city convert one of the four travel lanes on each street adjacent to the Public Garden into a two-way, parking-protected bike lane.

“I have my 14-year-old son with me here, and I want him eventually to be able to cycle through the streets of Boston in a safe manner, in a protected bike lane out of general traffic,” he said.

The city’s Go Boston 2030 Action Plan includes a protected, contra-flow lane on Charles Street and bike lanes around the Public Garden. Protestors stated that these projects might not be completed for another 12 years, and stressed that this is an urge issue that should be addressed.